Seiichi Hara and Yasunobu Hara (Hara Farm)

Producers: Seiichi Hara and Yasunobu Hara Production area: Shichijo-cho, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture Main products: Rice, grains, etc. Use of pesticides: None Use of fertilizers: None

"Rice that is safe for children"

Shichijo-cho, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, is known nationwide as a rice-producing region. Seiichi Hara has been growing fertilizer-free and pesticide-free rice here for 30 years. He is a producer who always leaves an impression with a smile and a calm expression.

The trigger of having a child

"What prompted me to try organic rice cultivation was getting married and having children.

Until then, his father's generation had grown rice using conventional farming methods that used pesticides and fertilizers, but he wanted to feed his children safe food, so he became interested in natural farming. In addition, his wife, who he married, is the younger sister of Koike Yusei, who also grows rice in Shichijo, and Koike's father had been growing rice using natural farming methods since back then, so he was also influenced by her. However, it was really hard when he first started. Weeds such as barnyard grass grew in the rice fields, and he had to weed them by hand endlessly under the scorching sun of midsummer.

Sometimes an old lady passing by would call out to him, saying, 'If you use weed killer, it would only take five minutes.' My father also used to be told to do it in a corner because the weeds were so noticeable. But after continuing on with this for four or five years on a small area, he learned to use snails and ducks to control the weeds, and it became much easier. Until now, he thought weeding was too hard and couldn't be done on a large area, but since the problem of weeding was solved, it has been possible to grow rice without fertilizer or pesticides on a large scale since 20 years ago.

The home of fireflies

"In this area, groundwater from the Maekawa River springs from 38 meters underground and flows into the rice fields. No household wastewater is mixed in, and many people come to draw drinking water. There are other rice farmers besides me who don't use herbicides or pesticides, so it's an ideal environment for producing safe rice. Also, every year from May to June, many fireflies come here and light up the area. The Japanese river snails, which the fireflies feed on, can only be found in places with clean water. They live in large numbers in the irrigation channels."

Passing the baton to the next generation

"This land has been passed down from my grandfather to my father, and from my father to me. I will continue to take care of the soil so that I can continue to grow rice for many years to come, so that I can pass it on to the next generation. My son Yasunobu has gotten married and will be joining us in the business, so I'm really looking forward to what the future holds. We also make our own rice crackers, and I would like to put more effort into processing them."

"I hear that recently, more and more people are finding it difficult to conceive. Food is the most important thing. I want to provide something that is safe to eat, at the very least, like the rice we eat every day."

Interview with Hara